the aim of this study was to investigate the range utilization of rhode island red hens, grazing outdoor (under tropical conditions) and to scan their activities inside the house as well as during their outdoor visits. the activities of rir hens, raised in indoor floor pens connected with outdoor areas covered with natural vegetation, were scanned and recorded individually within 15 minute inte...

Two temperate corn (Zea mays) hybrids (Pioneer 3320 and Northrup King 508), two tropical corn cultivars (Pioneer X304C hybrid and Florida SYN-1 experimental open pollinated cultivar), the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) x sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense) hybrid DeKalb SX-17, and the sorghum hybrid DeKalb FS25E were compared for effect on nematode densities and forage yield in three plantings (one singl...

To determine the importance of digestion and detrition (rubbing) in the rumen on the breakdown of large particles (LP) in the leaf and stem fractions of temperate and tropical forages, a study was made using a digestion-detrition simulator. Large-particle breakdown was measured in forage samples subjected to 48-h digestion or 48-h digestion plus detrition. Digestion caused a breakdown of 14% +/...

The influence of environmental factors on forage quality of temperate and tropical grasses has been reviewed by several authors, who summarized how light, temperature, drought and soil nutrients influence chemical composition, and digestibility of forages grown in contrasting areas of the world. The effects of season of the year on forage growth, grazing behavior and animal performance have als...

Tropical forage genetic resources are essential material for the development of adapted pasture crops. Collection, conservation and characterization of these resources are needed to preserve them for future generations. Collections were made after 1970 by CIAT, CSIRO and ILRI. The current status of these collections and present conservation methods are reviewed. Genetic diversity has been asses...

The preservation of forages by ensiling has been a well known technology for many years and is popular in North America and Europe. This technology requires high investment in facilities, accurate timing in the several stages of the ensiling process, and better understanding of the whole process than hay making demands. In addition to these demands, silage making and management in tropical cond...

Scientists and managers have become increasingly interested in how pelagic marine protected areas (PMPAs), or protected areas away from the coast, can be used to protect pelagic species. Subsurface-predator facilitated foraging (‘facilitated foraging’) between seabirds and subsurface predators, such as tunas, is a key ecological interaction in the tropical oceans where a number of large PMPAs h...